This invention relates to the field of fishing and more particularly to an improved outrigger positioner for use on fishing boats.
While numerous methods of saltwater fishing exist, the use of a boat has many advantages for both the professional and recreational fisherman. For this reason, many boat manufacturers have built vessels directed solely to the art of fishing. Open fishing boats, so defined due to the open area around a center console, are of particular interest since they are capable of high speeds, are economical to operate, and provide a very safe platform from which to fish from.
While outriggers are a common fixture on large sportfishing vessels, the use of the open fishing vessels have become a viable option to many anglers. Notwithstanding the obvious cost savings in vessel purchase, maintenance, and operating cost, the open fishing vessel can be made extremely fast and are highly maneuverable making them the preferred vessel for fishing tournaments and recreational fishing. Mounting of an outrigger system on an open fishing vessel is unlike that of a conventional sport fishing vessel since a benefit of the open fishing vessel is the ability to walk around a centrally located console station. Most open fishing vessels include the use of a T-top that, as the name implies, is formed from a xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d like structure to provide shade and rain protection for those standing around the console. The T-top does not inhibit operation of the vessel and allows an occupant to walk around the vessel uninhibited.
The Assignee of this present invention is the owner of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,738,035 and 4,993,346, incorporated herein by reference, which teach the use of outriggers for use on open fishing vessels having a T-top, half tower, or the like. Current boating designs for high speed fishing vessels ideally allow the placement of outriggers in a stowage position, movable to a trolling position, without interfering with the occupant area. The use of a combination control lever and locking mechanism permits placement of the outrigger by manipulation of the control lever safely within the confines of the vessel.
Fishing with outriggers is performed when a fishing vessel is driven slowly, commonly referred to as trolling, which permits the strategic placement of bait behind the vessel. Trolling allows the fishing vessel to cover large areas of water so as to increase the chance of catching fish. The quantity and spacing of the bait placed behind the vessel is generally proportional to the size of the vessel, as well as the success of the fishing expedition. If the bait is properly placed, the wake generated by the vessel can be made to appear like a school of fish. Bait that appears to be struggling or separated are most attractive to predator fish.
The positioning of bait behind a vessel would be limited but for the use of the outriggers. Most open fishing vessels have a beam less than ten feet. Trolling with more than two fishing lines behind the vessel provides very little distance between the baits and limits the ability to place bait outside of the boat wake. Further, more than two lines behind a narrow beam vessel severely limits vessel maneuvering. Even a gradual turn may cause bait lines to cross and become entangled. In addition, closely positioned baits can become entangled during a fish strike.
The use of outriggers provides a means for effectively widening the spacing of the bait, as well as adding additional bait/lines without fear of tangling of the lines. An outrigger is basically a long pole having a proximal end coupled to the vessel and a distal end that can be rotated from a stowage position outboard to a trolling position. A positioning line is drawn along the length of the outrigger pole wherein release clips secured to the positioning line are used to secure the fishing pole line at a desired location. When a fish strikes the bait, the release clip disengages the fishing line from the positioning line, and the fisherman is free to reel in the fish without interference. Proper placement of the outrigger pole and fishing line increases the chances of fish being drawn to the bait.
For example, by use of two fifteen foot outriggers, a vessel with a ten foot beam may extend the distances between bait, effectively covering a thirty foot spread behind the vessel. However, having outrigger poles extend from each side of a vessel during non-fishing times has obvious drawbacks. For this reason, outriggers must be stowable to allow for normal traveling and docking. The outriggers are typically stored within the vertical plane of the vessel, the vertical plane defined by the side walls of the vessel. In operation, the outrigger is swung laterally outward to a deployed position for fishing purposes. Typically, each outrigger pole may be ten to thirty feet long, longer poles being cabletrussed to prevent excessive flexing.
Mounting outriggers to open fishing vessels presents numerous problems, mainly due to the stability of a narrow beam boat in open water, as well as the operational speeds that the open fishing vessels are capable of. A basic requirement is the safety of the vessel occupants, wherein an operator of the outrigger can be rotated while the occupant remains in the safety of the vessel, preferably while standing next to the console, beneath the T-top. Associated with this safety aspect is the need for a locking mechanism capable of withstanding the large cantilever forces presented by the outrigger arrangement. For instance, a fifteen foot outrigger secured to a T-top has a distal end cantilevered from the base. When the vessel is placed in an ocean environment, it is not uncommon for the vessel to be subjected to large seas wherein the twisting force of the outrigger pole places an enormous strain on the base of the outrigger. If the outrigger""s sole source of outrigger pole positioning is the locking mechanism, the locking mechanism must be able to withstand the entire force presented by the cantilevered configuration.
All known prior art outrigger systems employ a locking mechanism that, when the locking mechanism is in an unlocked position, allows the outrigger to freely rotate. Thus, a control situation occurs when an outrigger is unlocked while the vessel in being subjected to movement, such as wave displacement. In this situation the outrigger may move due to the rotational motion provided by the wave motion. Should the wave motion be violent, the rotational motion can be transferred to the outrigger resulting in a violent movement of the outrigger that the operator will not be able to control.
Rotational movements by wave action can create outrigger movement even if the locking mechanism is xe2x80x9cengaged.xe2x80x9d This occurs if the locking mechanism is worn, fails, or simply is not capable of securing against the rotational forces caused by a cantilevered outrigger. Longer and/or heavier outriggers further the rotational associated problems exponentially. The result is a dangerous situation for vessel occupants located near or in the path of the outrigger. Should the locking mechanism fail in close quarter maneuvering, the outrigger might freely swing out resulting in damage to any item within the outrigger path. In addition, the conventional outrigger control for open fishing vessels provides a 1:1 ratio, therein the movement of a hand lever results in a corresponding movement of an outrigger. This straight ratio can make it difficult to operate long and/or heavy outrigger poles. Even if an outrigger pole is short, dirt and corrosion may inhibit pole movement.
Accordingly, what is lacking in the art is an outrigger positioner that provides controlled rotation of an outrigger pole by use of a constantly engaged rotation mechanism to prevent uncontrolled movement of the outrigger pole, as well as a means for increasing the torque applied through the outrigger positioning assembly.
A primary objective of the instant invention is to teach the use of a positive control outrigger pole utilizing a gear-train drive system that provides an increase in torque allowing rotation of the outrigger pole with minimal effort.
Another objective of the instant invention is to teach the use of a gear-train drive positioning system that provides infinite adjustment of an outrigger between a stowage position and a trolling position.
Yet another objective of the instant invention is to teach a multi-stage gear-train drive system that provides relatively slow rotation of an outrigger pole.
Still another objective of the instant invention is to teach the use of a secondary locking mechanism that operates as an assist only, not as a primary lock, thereby providing a second locking mechanism.
Still another objective of the instant invention is the provision of further improvements in the type of outrigger systems provided by the inventions disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,993,346 and 5,738,035.
The objectives are accomplished in accordance with the invention by the provision of an improved outrigger positioning assembly that is installed on a T-top, half tower, full tower, or the like fishing vessel. Installation allows an outrigger pole to be supported by its bottom end portion above a T-top and permits a full range of rotational movement of the outrigger pole between the stowage position and the trolling position and vis versa. Rotation can be performed by a person safely standing in the fishing vessel in the shelter of the T-top by manipulation of a gear train assembly that provides positive engagement of the outrigger pole throughout the full range of positioning.
An essential component of the instant invention is the use of a gear-train to provide an increase in torque, allowing hand or small motor rotation to effect outrigger pole movement. The outrigger positioner of the instant invention employs a base member which is secured to a fixed structure, such as the T-top, having the gear-train driven positioner mounted beneath the T-top structure. Gear-trains are well known in the art and may include but should not be limited to: worm and wormgear, spur gears, helical gears, bevel gears, planetary gears, herringbone gears, ring and pinion gears, chain and sprockets, belts and pulleys and suitable combinations thereof. The gear-train driven assembly of the present invention preferably utilizes a worm and wormgear which effectuates a transfer of rotational torque from the hand crank or motor driven crank to cause a torque increased rotation movement of the outrigger pole. In this manner, positive movement of the outrigger pole from a stowage position over the fishing vessel to a trolling position is performed with fully engaged gears so that movement is controlled at all times. The use of the torque multiplier gear-train allows movement of oversized outriggers, even if the outrigger assembly has been poorly maintained resulting in friction inhibited movement.
In general, a first tubular member is rotatably journaled to a second tubular member which together form a base member. The second tubular member has a top end and a bottom end forming a longitudinal axis therebetween. The first tubular member rotator assembly includes a hand operated crank used for manual rotation of a driver gear located within a housing, the driver gear housing may be integrally formed or otherwise suitably coupled to the base member. The hand grip of the hand operated crank is positioned a fixed distance from the gear-train housing by a support post, the length of the support post can be made to accommodate the gear reduction ratio employed. The gear-train driver assembly can be locked into position by use of an engagement bracket which is pivotedly attached to the base member, and rotatable so that a tip of the engagement bracket is insertable into an aperture slot formed in the support post, to prevent rotation of the driver assembly. The engagement bracket is L-shaped wherein one wing of the engagement bracket is used as a lever while the second end wing of the engagement bracket is insertable into the slotted aperture of the support post. The outrigger assembly can be installed as original equipment or as a packaged kit for after market installation.
Other objectives and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objectives and features thereof.